ANCHR's Artist of the Week: The Aquadolls

This week’s artist of the week goes to The Aquadolls, a trio composed of Melissa Brooks, Keilah Nina and Jacqueline Proctor.

Brooks initially formed The Aquadolls ten years ago, and the project started as a way for her to have a creative outlet to escape the angst she felt from being bullied in high school. Brooks remains the lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter for the group, but she actually released an EP and the project’s debut album Stoked on You in 2013 before she was joined by Nina and Proctor.

In 2018, the trio released the sophomore full-length album for The Aquadolls, entitled The Dream and Deception, which features a whopping 19 tracks. In 2020, the band even put out a remix version of the record, featuring 8 remixes. Outside of the albums, The Aquadolls have put out a handful of singles and EPs, including their 2020 cover version of the iconic “Take Me Away”—which you may originally know from the Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis version of “Freaky Friday.”

A lot of The Aquadoll’s earlier material has a sound that I would describe as bedroom surf rock— it’s dreamy and hazy lo-fi rolled into cheeky beach vibes. Their newest single “Burn Baby Burn,” which came out just this past month, has an edgier and more amplified sound that’s reminiscent of The Donnas or The Runaways. This track acts as the third single from The Aqualdoll’s upcoming third record Charmed, due out June 2nd, and it follows the pattern on a more intense sound for the band.

In celebration of the new music, The Aquadolls are hitting the road for a headline tour, including a stop in Chicago on Friday, May 19th at The Subterranean. Check out all of the upcoming tour dates here, and watch the video for “Burn Baby Burn” below.